The work of Ravindra Ramrattan, who was killed during a terrorist attack on a mall in Kenya earlier this year, will affect millions of Africans, British High Commissioner Arthur Snell has said. Snell was at the time addressing the launch of the Ravi Ramrattan Award and Fund during the Presentation College Alumni Association’s annual banquet and awards ceremony at Gaston Courts, Chaguanas, on Saturday.

Ramrattan, 30, the 2002 President’s Medal winner and former Oxford scholar, was among 68 people killed in a terrorist attack at a shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, on September 21. Ramrattan, a graduate of Presentation College, Chaguanas, had been working in Kenya for the last four years as research economist with Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) Kenya, an independent trust established to support the development of inclusive financial markets in the African nation.

He was at the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi when masked Islamic militants carried out their attack, killing innocent civilians. Ramrattan’s body was found the next day. Snell said FSD was geared at improving the lives of the people of East Africa and solving some of the country’s problems. “Imagine a world in which one of the cleverest young men ever born was putting all of his intellectual weight into solving some of these problems,” he said.

“And just this evening I had the privilege of speaking to Ravi’s father about some of the work Ravi had done both with FSD and, prior to that, in the sugar industry in Kenya and simple changes that could be made such as a farmer receiving a payment four times a year instead once a year and that change in somebody’s life, that can change a family’s life. “Of course, that will change the lives of a whole village, maybe a whole town, a whole city...this work goes on today.

“I was hearing today the theories and ideas that Ravi developed had been sought, not only for the city where he was working, but for the whole of Kenya, a country of 40 million people. Now they are thinking whether or not this idea should be brought to the whole of Africa.” Snell said the impact of Ravi’s upbringing and education had impacted the people of Africa. 

“Ravi Ramrattan has left behind the change in the quality of the way of life for literally millions of people...It’s very, very hard to imagine how many people could do that,” he said. “Ravi, thank you, thanks for what you did for my country, for my country the UK. Thank you for what you did for Africa.” Parbattie Ramrattan, Ravi’s mother, described her son as a patriot and a humanitarian who gave all for the upliftment of humanity through his work. 

Sending a word to the terrorist/s who killed her son, she said Islam was not about terror but about peace. Dr Anil Kamta, member of the PCC Alumni, said the award will be presented annually to any citizen who makes significant contributions to the improvement and or social development of the college. He said the fund is designed to financially provide to students whose families struggle silently to equip them with supplies for school and extra curricular activities. He said the fund has already accumulated $80,000.

The alumni also presented awards to Neil Chan, Selwyn Books, Simon Rostant and Boris Punch for their contribution to the institution.

Pensioners will soon be using their thumb print to access financial services, Minister of the People and Social Development Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh, says. He was addressing a ceremony to distribute long-term food cards to more than 200 people on Tuesday at the offices of Couva South MP, Chase Village, Chaguanas. Ramadharsingh said Cabinet had recently given the nod for the approval of a biometric system that would see pensioners using their fingerprints to gain access to their bank accounts. 

He said the biometric system would also allow the ministry to do away with the need for pensioners to have to complete life certificates each year. Ramadharsingh said the programme should take effect by January and would eventually encompass everyone receiving social services. 

He said through the social welfare division, 82,000 people now get pensions monthly. Some 45,000 people are using the direct deposit facility to get their pensions deposited directly into their bank account, while 24,000 people get grants for the disabled, he said. As of July, 2013, Ramadharsingh said 42,202 people were using the food card facility while 8,698 had graduated from the programme by increasing their household earning capacity as a result of gaining employment opportunities. 

Ramadharsingh said from that number, 208 people have gone into their own business. He said under the two-year food card system, people would be supported by the Government on the road to financial independence.

Chaguanas councillor Faaiq Mohammed is predicting that Jack Warner’s Independent Liberal Party (ILP), from which he defected, will not last a year. His claim comes in the wake of the resignation, on Tuesday, of  former ILP interim chairman Robin Montano days before the party’s convention this weekend. “The ILP cannot last a year,” Mohammed, councillor for Charlieville on the Chaguanas Borough Corporation, told the T&T Guardian after the corporation’s first statutory meeting on Tuesday.

Mohammed said on a visit to perceived ILP strongholds, such as St Thomas Village and New Settlement, residents indicated they were leaving the party because it had diverted from its original position of representation. “A lot of them are waking up,” Mohammed said. “More people are going back (to the UNC) and if the ILP lasts up to 2015, I don’t believe it can win the Chaguanas West seat. People are dissatisfied with the ILP.”

He said people on the ground were telling him the ILP was formed out of bitterness and was just a way to malign the present government. Commenting on Montano’s resignation, Mohammed recalled, “Robin Montano called me a liar, and here it is today he woke up and smelled the coffee and left that party for the same reason I hastily got out.” Mohammed suggested Montano’s resignation was “only the tip of the iceberg. People will leave in droves.”

But he said he would not be consumed by what is happening in or with the ILP. “My main concern is not the bacchanal in the ILP. I am here to serve the people, serve the people, serve the people and deliver.” After the statutory meeting, deputy mayor Debideen Mannick said the corporation had decided to distribute resources equitably among all councillors. “We want all our burgesses to be represented on the same playing field,” he said.  

“I see no party politics here. All I see are people who want the goods delivered and I want that too. I am about honesty and integrity.”

High on the agenda of the new chairman of the Couva/Taba-quite/Talparo Regional Corporation, Henry Awong, are developing local tourism and upgrading the Couva market. Awong said Couva did not have  a market as defined by the market laws, so land along Camden Road in the vicinity of the Rivulet Road had been earmarked  for a new market. He said lanned to oversee construction of an ultra-modern facility that could accommodate large numbers of vendors and shoppers. 

Awong’s vision is for a market that allows for expansive trading and makes room for small entrepreneurs to get involved in agro-related activities. He assured that the CTTRC would not make the same mistakes of other developers and would  ensure there were adequate parking facilities on the compound. He said the CTTRC also planned to beautify parts of Couva’s commercial area with trees and other aesthetic elements to enchance the appearance of the town.

In addition, the area’s local attractions will be developed in an effort to attract local tourism and create income generating opportunities for the burgesses. The district’s attractions include the historic Knolly's Tunnel, the San Antonio Estate in Gran Couva, the Tortuga RC Church, the iconic Temple in the Sea and the scene of the Arena Massacre. Recreation facilities will be developed in the various communities within the CTTRC, he said

Awong said the CTTRC  will work  closely with the Couva/Point Lisas Chamber of Commerce and other stakeholders in the community to ensure the area continues to grow Awong started  his political career in 1989 when he joined the National Alliance for Reconstruction. He was a  successful United National Congress (UNC) candidate in the 2003 Local Government for the  Piparo/San Pedro/Tabquite seat. Prior to being appointed chairman, Awong served as CTTRC vice-chairman for three years.

Between 2001 and 2012 new HIV infections fell by 33 per cent said Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh, Minister of the People and Social Development. He was addressing a World Aids Day event at the Edinburgh 500 Recreation Grounds, Chaguanas, on Friday. Ramadharsingh said Aids-related deaths have dropped by 30 per cent since 2005, and life-saving antiretroviral treatment reached almost ten million people in 2012.  According to Ramadharsingh, “This marks a forty fold increase since 2002.”

He said, “While these gains were not achieved easily, it is my firm belief that they must be protected, and we cannot lose sight of the significant challenges which remain. The harsh reality, ladies and gentlemen, is that there is an estimated 2.3 million people globally who are infected with HIV each year. As I stand before you here today, epidemics continue to grow.” He said Aids-related deaths have fallen globally over the last seven years, however deaths among adolescents rose by 50 per cent within the same period.

In addition to this, global statistics reveal that 60 per cent of young people living with HIV are female. Ramadharsingh said punitive laws, gender-based violence, stigma and discrimination are still a reality in our society and often present major obstructions to progress in addressing effective solutions to the HIV epidemic. 

It also impedes access to effective HIV prevention, treatment and support services. He said, “It is my duty to support communities and organisations and to respond to the development dimensions of HIV. “I encourage all of you to join us in the fight against HIV by standing in solidarity with all people affected by HIV.”

Government ministers Rudranath Indarsingh and Stacy Roopnarine say the time has come for society to weed out child molesters. They made the appeals during Christmas functions they attended on Wednesday, in the wake of a series of heinous crimes committed against children in recent months. 

Speaking at a Christmas dinner for residents of the Couva Home for the Aged and needy children at the Couva South Hall, Camden Road, Couva, Indarsingh said the time had come for people who have knowledge of child molesters to report them to the relevant authorities. Indarsingh, Minister in the Ministry of Finance and Couva South MP, said these reports should come regardless of whether the perpetrators were citizens' relatives or close acquaintances. 

Pointing out that the adults in society are duty-bound to get rid of child molesters and predators, Indarsingh said, “We must weed them out one by one. If it is in our family structure we must be prepared to speak out.” Indarsingh said all cases of molestation, attacks and child pornography must be reported to the authorities. "We must be vigilant all year round. We would be failing in our responsibility if we are not duty-bound on a minute-by-minute basis,” he said. 

Indarsingh said the government had made strides when it comes to putting in place structures to deal with uplifting children. He also called on citizens to extend a sense of charity throughout the year and not only at Christmas time. Roopnarine, Minister in the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and Oropouche West MP, called on civic-minded members of the national community to keep an eye out for the nation’s children.

She made the appeal at a hamper distribution ceremony at the Gulf View Community Centre, La Romaine, hosted by the Gulf View-based Women of Progress. Roopnarine said communities must come together to deal with child molesters. She said the nation had witnessed a disturbing trend in 2013. “During this year we saw something very disturbing, we saw very heinous crimes being committed against children.” 

She said what was most disturbing was that the crimes against children were being committed by persons known to the children. She said the time had come for people to stop sitting by the wayside and witnessing children being molested. “We need to start speaking out as a community. If you see something report it, you have a responsibility,” Roopnarine said.

A new Government initiative has been launched to encourate agro-entrepreneurship in non traditional areas. Food Production Minister Devant Maharaj has announced that 20 families will be selected for the pilot phase of small scale aquaponics project. He said the aim was to encourage vegetables and fish production in small, back yard facilities.  

Maharaj made the annoncement when he handed over the first aquaponic unit to the Rotary Club of St Augustine. The event took place at Valsayn South where a training facility is to be established. He said  it was the first time his ministry was partnering with an NGO for that type of project like this. The club will select people for the project and supply them with the units. The minister said the system was organic and was intended to yield short term crops.

“It is hoped that these programmes will play a crucial role in reducing crime in at-risk urban communities by empowering citizens with an opportunity to not only be self sufficient but also engage in entrepreneurial activities rather than turn to a life of crime to earn money,” he said.

Maharaj said aquaponics had been in T&T for the past two decades there had not been the political will to promote that type of food production. He said the system is cheap and uses PVC pipes to grow plants such as herbs, lettuce and cabbages and fish like tilapia. According to the minister, T&T’s agriculture sector expanded by 5.1 per cent this year from the previous year and the contribution of the sector to GDP hasincreased by 77 per cent since 2009.

An All Fours match in central Trinidad ended bloody early yesterday after three men, among them a soldier, were shot dead in a drive-by shooting while standing on the side of the road. The victims, police said, were standing opposite the Inshan Ali Park, Polo Ground Road, Preysal, around 3.25 am when the incident occurred.

The three men have been identified as Rawle Fletcher, 34, a lance corporal of the Defence Force; Mitra Maharaj, 46, a businessman of Trent Drive, Orchard Gardens, Chaguanas; and Anil Diram, 19, a NESC student of Grand Couva. Fletcher lived in Preysal.

According to Senior Superintendent Peter Reyes, the men were gunned down by men driving a red Kia Sportage. Reyes said checks with the licensing department revealed that the registration number on the vehicle was bogus. He said the police are working on several leads. He also said police investigators are confident they will solve the case. He also appealed to anyone with information to contact the police. 

At Fletcher’s home yesterday, his mother, Margaret, said she wanted justice. She said  her son should not have died in such a horrible manner. “I am appealing with the criminals to stop killing innocent people.” The soldier’s sister, Valerie Fletcher, said her brother left his home with Mitra Maharaj about ten minutes before the incident to attend the All Fours competition. She said her brother was the father of three. 

Fletcher had two daughters ages 12 and 10; and a son aged 13. They lived with the victim’s mother. “The crime situation is a disgrace. The country is too small to not find the criminals. My mother is in a disheartened position. Christmas done for us and for a long time to come,” Valerie said. She said her brother was a progressive person and was in the process of opening a rum shop downstairs his home.

A statement yesterday from the Defence Force said Fletcher enlisted with the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment on August 9, 2004. He was attached to the Warrant Officers and Senior Rates Mess at the Defence Force Headquarters, Chaguaramas. Also at Diram’s home yesterday his bereaved mother, Molly Diram, said her son studied air-conditioning at NESC in Couva.

She described him as model child who liked playing cards. Relatives said there would be no Christmas for this year. His stepfather Steve Bahaw said the family would no longer celebrate Christmas and may have a funeral on Christmas Day instead. “This was the worst I have ever seen. Anil wanted to be a technician,” he said.

Trade Minister Vasant Bharath says investors cannot get enough of T&T. He told guests at a Christmas dinner hosted by Debideen Manick, the Deputy Chaguanas Mayor at Cacandee Road, that during his recent visit to Indonesia he was part of a delegation that negiogated the historic  WTO agreement for trade between lesser developed countries and developed nations.

“The second part of that visit was to the United Kingdom where the government of T&T was looking to float a historic bond of US$500 million and investor confidence in the UK and Europe was so great that the bond was ten times oversubscribed,” Bharath said, adding that investors are excited about T&T. “At the end of the day we could have sold as 20 times much bonds as we did,” he said.

The minister said these recent successes were the result of the work Government is doing to remove the bureaucracy in doing business in T&T. He said in the last 15 months T&T has moved from 88th place in the world to 66th for ease of doing business. “That gives you an indication of the work we have been doing,” he said.

Manick announced plans to boost the fishing industry in Felicity with an upgraded facility which would allow fishermen to do business easier and faster. He said there are also plans to upgrade certain parts of the community to attract  local tourists and create employment.

Works Minister Suruj Rambachan says there will be a crackdown in overspending and bureaucracy in the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) this year. The minister warned of the crackdown when he gave the feature address at a graduation ceremony for 90 participants in a URP entrepreneurship training programme done in partnership with Nedco. He said he was going to ensure that taxpayers’ dollars are not wasted in the URP programme even if it means personally taking up a managerial role at the URP head office.

Rambachan said too many people are dependent on URP jobs and were not taking advantage of the numerous training opportunities in the programme to equip themselves for sustainable long term employment. 

“The URP programme was never meant to be a full-time long term job. Unfortunately that type of element has come into the programme and the programme manager has been instructed that this is not a place for people to come and settle in a long term job. This is a place where people come to learn to work and would be weaned and put into jobs.”

Rambachan said OAS, the contractors building the Point Fortin highway, has indicated that 680 workers including232 carpenters and 360 steelbenders, are required to work on the project in the next few weeks. He said people should be taking advantage of training programmes so they could get these jobs, rather than aiming to collect $70 a day with the URP He said: “Yet people want to just get a ride in terms of the URP programme. The days for the free ride in the URP programme are done.”

Rambachan expressed concern about the quality of supervision on URP projects. He said taxpayers pay $400 million a year, of which $44 million is paid in salaries to programme managers. He also warned there was too many overheads in the programme and said he would be calling on URP managers to account. 

Rambachan said every month 75 new community projects are supposed come on board for approval but this has not been happening. He blamed that problem on public servants who  were moving too slow or messing up paper work. “Too often papers are misplaced and lost. This has to stop,” he said.

The minister said a public servant at the URP head office had locked his office and had been missing for two weeks, preventing contractors from getting their letters of awards. He said “2013 is the death of that kind of behaviour.” Rambachan said the URP graduates are on the road to empower themselves and will eventually be able to bid for contracts on the programme. He said he was not going to allow the graduates to be frustrated with bureaucracy.

Food Production Minister Devant Maharaj has called in the police to investigate allegations of sexual and financial impropriety made against him by people whom he claimed are on a state board under his ministry. Maharaj and People’s National Movement senator Avinash Singh were addressing a farmer’s meeting at the Invaders Recreation Ground, Felicity, on Saturday. Maharaj said his accusers are getting desperate since they have come under investigation. 

“I was contacted this week by people I never knew before in my life (names called) and they sent an affidavit to me saying essentially they were called into a meeting with (named called) and I not libelling anybody here, that is what they say in the thing,” he said. “First item on the agenda I sexually assaulted 300 women; assuming that I take time for Saturday and Sunday that is a woman a day, this is the level of desperation. The second issue, I thief 100,000 citrus plants. Where I have these citrus plants?”

He said other allegations include a plot by Maharaj and his wife to steal $10 million from the Agricultural Development Bank and have it written off, and a plot to sell land to a man for $3 million. He said another allegation includes where he asked a restaurant owner to write off a loan. “Think about what kind of mind coming up with that,” he said.

Maharaj said as a government minister he expects criticism but he drew the line when it comes to conspiring against a cabinet minister. Maharaj said he has written to the Minister of National Security and the Commissioner of Police to conduct a full investigation. Maharaj said he plans to take the necessary legal action.

Maharaj said the state board, which he named, was being mismanaged and was abusing state funds. He said officials on the board were giving themselves allowances for make-up and clothing. He said some phone bills were high as $7,000 a month. 

An audit of the state board found examples of unwarranted spending of taxpayers’ dollars, Maharaj said. He said the board has used its position to curry favour people to get a $50,000 loan from the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB). He said that 95 per cent of the loans are delinquent and it was stopped to prevent a haemorrhage of funds from the ADB.

Singh, who attended in his capacity as the VP of the Felicity Farmers Association, said based on media reports he was dissatisfied with the performance of that particular state board “that is a concept shared by many farmers throughout this country.”

There has been a big increase in demand for farm-raised tilapia since the start of the year. Sales at the Sugarcane Feeds Centre (SFC) in Longdenville have increased from 500 pounds to 2,000 pounds a week. SFC project director Suresh Benny told the T&T Guardian consumers had been buying more of the farmed-raised fish because of concerns about pollution following the oil spills last month.

Benny said there had been increasing demand for the tilapia since last year after the Ministry of Food Production embarked on a promotion campaign and introduced initiatives to open more markets for local farmers. There is now an arrangement in place where the SFC is purchasing tilapia from farmers and processing and marketing the fish. The SFC is currently selling tilapia directly to customers at $15  a pound. Arrangements have not yet been made to supply the farm raised fish to supermarkets.

Benny said there were plans to boost production and farmers with idle capacity might soon start ramping up to meet the growing demand. He added there had been a levelling off of marine fisheries and aquaculture was expected to generate more than 50 per cent of the global demand for fish by 2015.

In an effort to stop an exodus of pilots, engineers and other qualified staff from the National Helicopter Services Limited (NHSL), Transport Minister Stephen Cadiz has asked the company to embark on internal salary negotiations. Cadiz said so when he attended an official function where the NHSL unveiled its brand new  Sikorsky-76D helicopter at its Camden, Couva,headquarters.

NHSL leased the $95 million aircraft from the Milestone Aviation Group for three years. The 76D is one of two built and the first to be  put into commercial operation globally. Itwas leased to provide services to Repsol with at least five flights daily. NHSL plans on adding two more D76 helicopters to its fleet  in July for a total of nine aircraft in its operation. 

Joshey  Mahabir, general manager of NHSL, said the company spent considerable funds to train pilots and other staff only to lose them to a higher paying competitor which has the luxury of deep pockets while NHSL, a state company, operates under the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) and a process of salary negotiations. Mahabir said NHSL lost about five or six pilots and engineers annually. Cadiz said NHSL was operating in a competitive environment and must be removed from under the CPO. 

On transportation matters, Cadiz said a $750 million  21st century licensing office was expected to come into operation by mid-year at Fredrick Settlement, Caroni, and a full access centre wiould be opened in Tobago. The minister said there were also plans afoot to develop an effective transportation policy to make life easier for the commuting public. 

He said Government planned to get new fast ferries for Tobago since the current vessels were ageing and used up $100 million in diesel annually. Cadiz said there was a strong possibility that they would be replaced by vessels powered by LNG which would use less than $10 million in fuel annually. Cadiz also announced plans for all public transportation vehicles to be powered by CNG. There are plans to expand the water taxi service, with ports to be established at Point Fortin and Waterloo. 

Cadiz said the service was underutilised, transporting just 1500 passengers daily when it hadthe capacity to move spproximatekly 9000 people a day. ASlso speaking at the function was Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine who said there would be increased activity in the energy sector over the next six years. He said this was due to increased investor confidence in T&T economy and the incentives offered in the energy industry.

Still reeling from the murder of nursing student Sally Roopan on Monday, the community of Couva was rocked again yesterday as another one of its women was brutally taken away—this time a preschool teacher. Police identified the latest victim as Judy Duke-Guerro, the 33-year-old mother of three, of Cemetery Street, Perseverance Village. Police said Duke-Guerro’s body was discovered around 4.30 pm by her 18-year-old brother. She was found bound at the feet and hands, she was blindfolded and her throat was slit.

The victim’s mother Lynette Duke cried unconsolably as the police conducted their investigations, and was constantly consoled by friends and relatives, all stunned by this latest killing of a woman they deemed innocent and very friendly to all who knew her. The woman had three children, Deneesa, Johnathon and Joshua, all still in primary school, with her former husband Andrew Guerro, 40.

Speaking to the media outside the house yesterday, as villagers crowded to the scene for a first-hand look at crime scene investigators conducting their investigations, Guerro said he and his wife had separated more than a year ago. He said he could not understand why anyone would want to kill her, but said: “She did not deserve die in such a horrific manner.” Guerro broke down in tears when undertakers removed the body around 7 pm, and had to  be consoled by Lenora Bishop, 50, a close friend of the victim.

Bishop said Couva has now become the murder capital of T&T. She said she last saw Duke-Guerro, who taught at a nearby preschool on Mary Street, on Tuesday morning when she arrived at her home to pick up her children for school. Bishop, too, said she could not understand why anyone would want to kill her friend. “I don’t see any reason why they killed her. People in Couva are living in fear, the criminals are now moving into this area.”

Central Homicide detectives are continuing investigations. Duke-Guerro’s killing came less than 24 hours after the killing of Roopan, 25. Duke-Guerro was also the third person to be murdered in central Trinidad in four days. Wayne Haywoood, 30, was killed outside a popular Couva rumshop on Saturday, before Roopan was killed on Monday. The murder was also the seventh in four days, taking the toll for the year to 54 up to last evening. The comparative toll for the last year was 41.

The Chaguanas Carnival Committee is promising a safe and secure Carnival in Central. Speaking with the media on Saturday before the start of auditions for the junior calypso monarch at Renaissance Park, Orlando Nagessar, chairman of the Chaguanas Carnival Committee, said he had discussions last Friday with Senior Supt Johnny Abraham who appointed a police inspector to oversee operations. Nagessar said the police were looking at the routes and the places where bars would be set up to determine how officers would be deployed and the municipal police would also be playing a role in securing the borough for the celebrations. A total of $600,000 in prize money is up for grabs in Chaguanas for Carnival celebrations. This was announced by Anthony Charran, treasurer of the Chaguanas Carnival Committee. Speaking at the audition for places in the senior rounds of the calypso competition, Charran said $70,000 would be paid out to the winners of the junior and senior rounds of the calypso competition. He said he was impressed by the quality of the lyrics from the competitors.

Upcoming Events

Tomorrow: 
Queens motorcade at the Chaguanas Main Road from 2 pm.
February 27: 
Calypso finals for juniors at the Chaguanas Market Square at 10 am.
Calypso finals for seniors at the Chaguanas Market Square at 5 pm.
February 28: 
Queen pageant at the market square at 7 pm.

March 1: 
Chutney and tassa show at market square at 7 pm.
March 2: 
Junior parade of the bands at Ramsaran St at 2 pm.
March 3: 
J’Ouvert at Ramsaran Street at 5 am.
Pan on the Move at the Chaguanas Main Road at 7 pm.
March 4: 
Parade of the Bands at Ramsaran Street at 10 am.

Achieving city status will increase the economic potential of Chaguanas, according to Richard Young, chairman of the Economic Development Board of T&T. He said so when he met recently with stakeholders from the borough at the new Chaguanas Town Hall. “The idea is to get things in place that will work towards that,” he said. “I think people recognise that there is congestion on the streets...and we need to come up with a game plan to solve that.” 

Young said there was also a challenge with street vending that needs to be addressed. Ritchie Sookhai, president of the Chaguanas Chamber of Commerce, said structured planning is on the cards for future growth. He said: “All construction now will pass through a steering committee we are trying to establish so that Chaguanas growth will be through structured development.”

Sookhai added that city status is more than a name change: “We hope to have better infrastructure in terms of the traffic plan and more business and a more vibrant borough and city.” He said if some areas are redesigned more businesses can come into Chaguanas. Mayor Gopaul Boodhan said discussions with stakeholders would continue over the next two weeks on issues surrounding the market and traffic management.

National media played an important role in spurring and generating interest in the agricultural sector.

Coverage of the agricultural sector has the potential to spur investments and agri-entrepreneurship.

These were among the statements made by Food Production Minister Senator Devant Maharaj, who delivered the keynote at the fourth Excellence in Agricultural Journalism Awards, hosted by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Cardi) on Saturday night at the Capital Plaza, Port-of-Spain.

He said the sector expanded by 5.1 per cent in 2013 from the previous year and the contribution of agriculture to the GDP increased by 77 per cent from 2009 to 2013.

Maharaj said there has been a reduction in food imports from 2010 to 2013, while food inflation is down to 7.3 per cent since November 2013.

Maharaj said 2014 has been designated the international year of family farms. Smallholder family farms produce four-fifths of the developing world’s food, according to statistics cited by Maharaj.   

“These women and men are key contributors to global, regional and national food security. The aim of this United Nations designated year of celebrations is to raise the profile of family farming and smallholder farming.”

In the same address, Maharaj also expressed some disappointment over the choice of stories awarded, however. He said several awards went to journalists who highlighted negative aspects of the sector. Acknowledging that journalists cover all areas of agricultural activity, he said there must be balance in their coverage.

Speaking with the Guardian after the ceremony, Maharaj said he wants to know what criteria are used by IICA/CARDI to select winning entries.

He said several journalists had told him that they had no knowledge that there was a competition on or how to enter.

“There are several reporters writing positive things about the sector and they know nothing about these awards. I, however, congratulate the current winners and I would like to see more people taking part.”

WINNERS
Guardian Media Ltd received the award for overall excellence in agricultural journalism.
Among the individual winners were:
• Verne Tikasingh, CNC3, Best News Feature (video)
• Khamal Georges, CNC3, Best News Feature (reporter)
• Shaliza Hassanali, T&T Guardian, Best Human Interest Story
• Shaliza Hassanali, T&T Guardian, Best Business Feature
• Sterling Henderson, I95.5FM radio, Best News Feature (radio)
• Suresh Cholai, Newsday, Best News Photo
• Jermaine Cruikshank, Express, Best Feature Photo
• Sue-Ann Wayow, Express, Best News Story
Kevonne Kerr- IICA/Cardi special award to youth/citizen journalist
• Keron Bascombe, Tech4agri.com, New Media

A final decision on the route for the Parade of the Bands for Chaguanas Carnival was reached after an emergency meeting with bandleaders and police on Monday at the Chaguanas Borough Hall. Bandleaders and the Chaguanas Carnival Committee have been at loggerheads for the past few weeks over which route the bands would use on Carnival Monday and Tuesday. Chairman of the Chaguanas Carnival Committee, Orlando Nagessar, said 20 bands were registered to take part in the competitions. However, he said many of them wanted to stay off the Chaguanas Main Road for various reasons and keep the Parade of the Bands confined to Ramsaran Street. 

Nagessar said the committee wanted to keep part of the parade along the main road so celebrations could be enjoyed by a wider cross-section of the community. Following the meeting, he said, it was agreed that for small bands, the parade would start on Ramsaran Street turn into Saith Park and then head to the Chaguanas Main Road and turn right to the next judging point. 
Larger bands will start on Ramsaran Street, head to the Chaguanas police Station and turn right onto the Chaguanas Main Road. Nagessar said the committee had been assured by the Chaguanas Police that there would be a heavy police presence during the celebrations. Chaguanas Mayor Gopaul Boodhan appealed for good sense to prevail during all Carnival activities, adding all systems were in place for an excellent celebration.

Fire gutted the eastern wing of the Charlieville Presbyterian School yesterday. Fire officers on the scene said the blaze started around 1pm, and by the time fire appliances arrived, the building, which had housed 90 students from the standards three, four and five classes had been totally destroyed. 

Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh, who arrived shortly after, said arrangements had been made with the Anjuman Sunnat ul-Jamaat (ASJA) to use the auditorium of the nearby ASJA Girls College temporarily to house the students who were displaced. He said he had also spoken with the principal, who had assured that SEA exam material for the Standards 4 and 5 classes was not damaged. Gopeesingh said as soon as the fire services gave the go-ahead, the structure would be demolished and a new one put up. 

Chaguanas mayor Gopaul Boodhan and Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner also visited. Boodhan pledged the support of the borough corporation.

Tamiko Moore is the new Chaguanas Calypso Monarch. Moore faced a field of 11 fellow contestants on Thursday night at the Chaguanas Market Car Park and dished out thought-provoking lyrics with the song Man In Dat. Moore of Hollywood Drive, Enterprise, Chaguanas, defeated the 2013 champ Marlon Edwards, who placed third with Leave it Dey. Placing second was Georgia Mc Intire, who sang Make the Right Choice. The vintage arm of the competition was won by Roger Johnson.

Man in Dat focused on the latest fashion and social trends among men, who, according to Moore, try their best to outdo women in areas of dress, mannerisms and at home. Moore in her lyrics complained that men are taking over the feminine aspects of life:
“They done take over tight pants, just now go be dress/Man wearing fuchsia pink, baby blue/Man in everything and looking hotter than you/Man eh leaving nothing for woman to do.”

In the junior rounds of the competition, held earlier on Thursday, Ronaldo London emerged the winner. Placing second was Sasha Ann Moses, who sang A Mother’s Love, and in third spot was AnekaCollins with We Need You.